This project is funded by European Innovation Council (Horizon-EIC-2024-PathfinderOpen-01 ReverseStroke n°101187647) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI)
From violinists to metal welders, finely tuned hand and arm movements are the foundation of craft, while all of us rely on proficient use of hands for the activities of daily life. Yet, more than 25 million people worldwide lost functional movements to subcortical stroke.
Subcortical stroke often interrupts the communication between the cortex and the cervical spinal cord circuits, which leads to permanent hand and arm paralysis. The result is a vastly reduced quality of life and enormous socioeconomic burden for the affected, their families, and the society. A treatment that can effectively restore functional movements after subcortical stroke does not yet exist. Still, the motor cortex, which orchestrates movements, and the spinal cord motor circuits that directly control muscles remain largely intact. We aim to reverse the hand and arm paralysis of people with subcortical stroke by developing a digital bridge that reconnects the motor cortex with the cervical spinal motor circuits. This brain-spine interface consists of fully-implantable recording and stimulation systems that link cortical signals to spatiotemporal sequences of epidural electrical stimulation targeting spinal cord regions involved in the production of hand and arm movements. Our preliminary results in people with spinal cord injury strongly indicate that the brain-spine interface can restore natural control of movement and promote neurological recovery. Therefore, we are confident that a cervical brain-spine interface can reverse hand and arm paralysis incurred by stroke and, therefore, become a viable treatment option for subcortical stroke survivors.
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ONWARD Medical is a medical technology company creating therapies to restore movement, function, and independence in people with SCI and other movement disabilities. Building on more than a decade of scientific discovery, preclinical research, and clinical studies conducted at leading hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, and neuroscience laboratories, the Company has developed ARC Therapy, which has been awarded ten Breakthrough Device Designations from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Company’s ARCEX System is now cleared for commercial sale in the US. In addition, the Company is developing an investigational implantable system called ARCIM with and without an implanted braincomputer interface (BCI). Headquartered in the Netherlands, the Company has a Science and Engineering Center in Switzerland and a US office in Boston, Massachusetts. The Company is listed on Euronext Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam (ticker: ONWD). For more information, visit ONWD.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and YouTube.
Julien Camisani brings more than twenty years of experience, fifteen of which are in the life sciences industry, where he has been instrumental in inventing, developing, marketing, and sustaining advanced laboratory, medical and bio-manufacturing technologies. Prior to joining ONWARD® Medical, Julien led diverse and global teams, and managed large-scale projects with proven leadership across research and development, manufacturing, intellectual property and product management for companies like Cytiva, GE Healthcare and Biosafe. He holds dual master’s degrees in Embedded Systems from the University of Lugano, collaborating with ETH Zurich and Politecnico di Milano, complemented by an MBA from the University of Cumbria and a professional certificate in Technology Road mapping and Strategic Innovation from MIT.
The Clinatec biomedical research center is within the CEA Grenoble, a research technological center of French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission. Clinatec combines medical research and technological innovation at the same place to translate new solutions to patients. R&D is conducted by the CEA and the Grenoble University hospital (CHUGA) oversees clinical trials. The Clinatec’s mission is to accelerate the development and clinical validation of innovative medical devices based on medical needs and using state-of-the-art technologies.Clinatec develops new treatments, diagnostics and research methods for applications in neurodegenerative disease and spinal-cord injury. A multidisciplinary team made up of clinical practitioners, biologists, mathematicians and engineers in microtechnology, nanotechnology and signal processing has been constituted at Clinatec to drive innovation in micro and nanosystems for healthcare. The platform’s unique approach—bringing together a broad range of know-how at a single location—fosters the emergence of novel solutions and speeds up proof-of-concept testing and transfer of new technologies to manufacturers. The ultimate goal is to offer new solutions to as many patients as possible. Clinatec possesses a broad range of equipment and leverages the know-how and advances of the MINATEC campus. Clinatec’s current research includes near-infrared neuromodulation to stop degeneration in Parkinson disease, an exoskeleton and brain-computer interface to help tetraplegics walk again. For additional information about CEA Leti Clinatec, please visit CEA Leti Clinatec Website and http://www.clinatec.fr/en/
https://www.leti-cea.com/cea-tech/leti/english/Pages/What's-On/Press%20release/ONWARD-Award-to-Develop-Brain-Spine-Interface-Technology.aspx
Guillaume Charvet is currently Head of Medical Devices Development Lab within CEA Leti Clinatec® in Grenoble (France), with the mission to specify, develop and integrate innovative medical devices in response to medical needs. Its technological research activities are oriented towards the field of neuroengineering for neuroprosthetics and neuromodulation devices. Currently, he leads the Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) program at Clinatec. His team develops a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology for a chronic clinical application for movement compensation of patients with motor disabilities. This technology is based on a unique fully-implantable WIMAGINE® device enabling wireless brain activity recording along with a dedicated software environment and efficient neuronal activity decoding algorithms. This technology is currently evaluated in the context of two clinical trials to provide the proof that it is possible to control complex effectors, such as a 4-limb exoskeleton (tetraplegic) or spinal cord stimulator (paraplegic), thanks to brain activity monitoring and decoding.
Located in Switzerland, EPFL (www.epfl.ch) is one of Europe’s most vibrant and cosmopolitan science and technology institutions. EPFL has both a Swiss and international vocation and focuses on three missions: teaching, research and innovation. EPFL collaborates with an important network of partners, including other universities and colleges, secondary schools and gymnasiums, industry and the economy, political circles and the general public, with the aim of having a real impact on society.Associated to EPFL, the .NeuroRestore center (www.neurorestore.swiss) is a research, innovation and treatment center that develops and applies bioengineering strategies involving neurosurgical interventions to restore neurological functions. .NeuroRestore integrates implantable neurotechnologies and innovative treatments resulting from rigorous preclinical studies that have been conducted during the last 15 years in rodent and non-human primate models. These developments have led to breakthroughs for the treatment of paraplegia, tetraplegia, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and traumatic brain injuries.
Gregoire Courtine was trained in Physics and Neurosciences. After obtaining the Chancellor Award during his post-doc at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), he established his own laboratory at the University of Zurich in 2008 before joining the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) in 2012. He is now Full Professor of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology in the Center for Neuroprosthetics at EPFL and in the department of Neurosurgery at the University Hospital Lausanne (CHUV) where he is director of .NeuroRestore with Prof Jocelyne Bloch, functional neurosurgeon (CHUV). Prof Bloch will perform all the surgical interventions. NeuroRestore is a center that develops and applies bioengineering strategies involving neurosurgical interventions to restore neurological functions. He is also consultant as a Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) at ONWD, a start-up he co-founded in 2014 to translate the neurotechnologies developed in his laboratory into clinical treatments.
Dessintey was born from a collaboration between Davy, Nicolas Fournier and the University Hospital of Saint-Étienne, where Davy completed his Master’s research alongside Pr. Pascal Giraux. Their work focused on mirror therapy and the development of a unique visual feedback approach that would later lead to IVS3 (Intensive Visual Simulation), Dessintey’s pioneering solution designed to stimulate brain plasticity and accelerate motor recovery after neurological injuries.
Davy Luneau is the Co-founder and Product specialist of Dessintey, a French MedTech company developing innovative rehabilitation technologies.With a strong background in biomechanics, product ergonomics, and medical innovation, Davy has spent more than fifteen years developing and implementing technologies that enhance motor recovery and patient outcomes. Before founding Dessintey, he led R&D and international training programs in rehabilitation technologies.
DTS is Intellectual Property Law Office with offices in Munich, Stuttgart and Zurich. It was founded more than 20 years ago in Munich and is now providing counsel to clients including private inventors, SMEs but also blue chip companies. DTS is regularly ranked as a recommended IP Law Office by Financial Times Europe or JUVE.
Dr. Wende is a German and European Patent Attorney. He holds a Master's Degree (Dipl.-Ing.) in Mechanical Engineering from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and earned a Ph.D. for his work in the field of liver dialysis. At TUM, he is Adjunct Professor for Patent Law (https://www.mec.ed.tum.de/mmi/team/staff/). He is co-author of a Design Commentary for German and European Design Law. He advises clients in IP prosecution and litigation, but also M&A, and he is specialized in IP for Medical Technology. Further, he is active in IP Due Diligence for inter alia significant V.C. Funds and listed companies. He is a member of the Standing Advisory Committees PDI and WPQ (SACEPO PDI and SACEPO WPQ - https://www.epo.org/about-us/services-and-activities/Consultingourusers/sacepo.html) to the European Patent Office (EPO).
Karolinska Institutet is one of the world’s leading medical universities. The vision is to advance knowledge about life and strive towards better health for all. Karolinska Institutet accounts for the single largest share of all academic medical research conducted in Sweden and offers the country’s broadest range of education in medicine and health sciences. The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet selects the Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine.
Dr. Gabriela Markovic is a licensed psychologist and certified specialist in neuropsychology with more than two decades of clinical and academic expertise, including a PhD in clinical neuroscience from Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, and advanced clinical training from Université René Descartes in Paris. She drives rehabilitation and care innovation at a leading university hospital, where she plays a key role in advancing evidence-based neurorehabilitation, developing new clinical pathways, and shaping high-impact interdisciplinary practice. In addition to her clinical leadership, Gabriela Markovic is an active educator and researcher, teaching across multiple professional programs, presenting at international conferences, and supervising doctoral candidates, master’s students, and healthcare professionals.
The Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) is one of the five Swiss university hospitals and ranks among the top 15 best hospitals in the world, according to Newsweek magazine’s 2024 ranking.
Thanks to its collaboration with the Faculty of Biology and Medicine at the University of Lausanne (FBM), the CHUV plays a leading role of European significance in the fields of medical care, medical research, and education.
Jocelyne Bloch is a practicing neurosurgeon and a clinical scientist. She holds the positions of a Senior attending physician and the Director of the Service of Neurosurgery of the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Associate Professor at the faculty of Medicine and Biology of the University of Lausanne (UNIL), and Adjunct Professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL). She co-founded and co-direct the Defitech Center for Interventional Neurotherapies “.NeuroRestore” with Dr. Gregoire Courtine. Her work focuses on the development of neuromodulation treatments, including deep brain stimulation, spinal cord stimulation, and peripheral nerve stimulation for movement disorders, pain, and epilepsy. She has led numerous projects, published in top-tier journals, and co-founded ONWARD Medical, a startup now traded on Euronext that aims to translate the neurotechnologies developed in the laboratory into clinical treatments.
Faithful to its spirit of innovation and openness to the world, Unil offers its 17,000 students a rich and varied education. The excellence of its research and its international outlook enable the University of Lausanne to offer a rigorous and productive academic environment to the nearly 3,000 researchers who work here.
Unil is made up of seven faculties: Business and Economics (HEC Lausanne); Arts; Theology and Religious Studies (FTSR); Social and Political Sciences (SSP); Law, Criminal Justice and Public Administration (FDCA); Biology and Medicine (FBM); and Geosciences and Environment (GSE), the last three of which are unique in Switzerland.
Prof. Henri Lorach is Assistant Professor in the University of Lausanne within the Defitech Center for Interventional Neurotherapies (.NeuroRestore) - a research, innovation and treatment center that develops and applies bioengineering strategies involving neurosurgical interventions to restore neurological functions.
His research focuses on understanding 1) how the electrical activity of the brain encodes behavior and intentions and 2) how to use this knowledge to build real-time Brain Computer Interfaces to restore function after neurological disorders. In particular, he is leading clinical trials implementing invasive electrocorticography recordings at the level of the sensory motor cortex in patients with spinal cord injury and stroke to infer their intentions to perform specific movements and restore those movements through neuroprosthetic technologies. Prof. Lorach graduated from Ecole Polytechnique in Paris and completed his PhD at the vision institute working on the encoding of visual information in the retina. He completed postdoctoral training at Stanford University to develop retinal implants that stimulate electrically the retina and restore visual perception to the blind.
General recommended lectures
1. EC - CORDIS Results Pack Ethics and Integrity in Research – Building a culture of trust and excellence, May 2024.
https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/450170-ethics-and-integrity-building-bridges-for-trust-and-excellence-in-research-and-innovation
2. COMMON HUMAN RIGHTS CHALLENGES RAISED BY DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS OF NEUROTECHNOLOGIES IN THE BIOMEDICAL FIELD.
Report commissioned by the Committee on Bioethics (DH-BIO) of the Council of Europe, Ienca M., 2021.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356412675_COMMON_HUMAN_RIGHTS_CHALLENGES_RAISED_BY_DIFFERENT_APPLICATIONS_OF_NEUROTECHNOLOGIES_IN_THE_BIOMEDICAL_FIELD/citation/download
Specialized recommended lectures
3. Neuroethics and brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), Eran Klein et al. Brain-Computer Interfaces, 2016, 3(3), 123–125.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/2326263X.2016.1210989?needAccess=true
4. Four ethical priorities for neurotechnologies and AI, Yuste R, et al. Nature. 2017 Nov 8;551(7679):159-163. doi: 10.1038/551159a
https://www.nature.com/articles/551159a
5. Understanding the Ethical Issues of Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs): A Blessing or the Beginning of a Dystopian Future? Livanis E, et al., 2024,Cureus, 14;16(4):e58243. doi: 10.7759/cureus.58243
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11091939/pdf/cureus-0016-00000058243.pdf
Mr. William Pralong M.D. in Basic Medicine, Pharmacology and Biophysics, Emeritus Professor at EPFL, provides an 8+ year track record in ethical and regulatory assessments of medical projects demonstrated in his leading roles of Vice-President of the Cantonal Ethical Committee for the Research on Human Being in Switzerland (CER-VD) and in his role of EPFL Delegate for Quality Assurance and Accreditation. Moreover, he is also an acting member of the council of the Institute of Health Law’s regulation at the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland. Currently Mr. Pralong is working as part-time Chief Scientific Officer for Legacy Healthcare which is developing safer drugs to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases in fragile patients.
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